The Sorghum Research Institute of Shanxi Agricultural University (SXAU) was founded in August 1971. Located in Yuci District, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, the institute currently employs 128 staff members.
The institute operates 13 research laboratories focused on basic and applied research in sorghum, corn, buckwheat, millet, and other crops. It also houses over 10 scientific research platforms, including the Belt and Road International Sorghum Industry Science and Technology Innovation Institute, the National Sorghum Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance, and the Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Sorghum Genetics and Germplasm Innovation. The institute has four test bases across Shanxi Province and Hainan Province, covering a total area of 82.89 hectares.
As one of China’s earliest and most comprehensive sorghum research institutions, the Sorghum Research Institute has played a pivotal role in the development of China’s sorghum industry. In the 1960s and 1970s, the institute bred and popularized the dwarf lodging-resistant hybrid Jinza, which became widely adopted across the country. In the 1980s and 1990s, it also developed the new A2 cytoplasmic male sterile line V4A, which was combined with the A2 hybrid Jinza 12. More recently, the institute has bred several market-driven varieties, including Jinza brewing sorghum, Jincao forage sorghum, Jintian sweet sorghum, and Jinza sorghum, suitable for mechanized cultivation.
The institute has strengthened its cooperation with government, schools, and enterprises through projects like the Dry Sorghum Industry Cluster, helping improve the level of scientific and technological services.
More information: https://www.sxau.edu.cn/en/Institutes/Institute_of_Sorghum.htm.
